Duck or duct? A tale of the tape
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A: In the early 1940s, the U.S. military asked Johnson & Johnson to come up with a tape to keep water out of ammunition cases. Originally, the army-green tape was made of cotton-duck material that was waterproof, as in ‘water rolling off a duck’s back,’ so it became known as duck tape. The tape quickly became a popular addition to the civilian toolbox, often used to repair heating and air-conditioning ducts in the booming postwar housing market. A name (and color) change occurred soon after.
Q: ‘As the Stomach Turns’ was a regular spoof of a soap opera on a TV variety show. Which one? ‘ J.K., El Paso, Texas
A: Fans of ‘The Carol Burnett Show’ know the answer.
Q: In two of the earlier James Bond movies, ‘Goldfinger’ and ‘Thunderball,’ Bond drove an Aston Martin DB5. Ever since, I have dreamed of owning one. My question is: How did the car get its name? ‘ D.E., Tucson, Ariz.
A: In the early 1910s, Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford formed a partnership selling cars in London. They later decided to make their own cars. After the early retirement of Bamford, Martin used his name, plus Aston from the Aston Clinton Hill Climb race, to name the new company and automobile.
Q: True or false: Was the role of Adrian Monk of the TV series ‘Monk’ originally offered to Michael Richards, better known as Cosmo Kramer of ‘Seinfeld’ fame? ‘ I.A.B., St. Cloud, Minn.
A: True.
Q: The species of humans is Homo sapiens. What does that mean? ‘ L.B.G., Cloverdale, Calif.
A: Homo sapiens is Latin for ‘wise man’ or ‘knowing man.’
Q: In the lunchroom at work, some people were talking about a TV show and one of the characters going off to ‘Mandyville.’ I was too uncomfortable to ask what they were talking about. Do you know? ‘ G.F., Fort Smith, Ark.
A: On the serial drama ‘The West Wing,’ there was a fictional character named Madeline ‘Mandy’ Hampton, played by Moira Kelly. In the second season, Hampton was no longer a member of the cast and no explanation was given. Fans of the show say she went off to Mandyville. Characters who also meet the same fate are said to have joined her.
Q: What are ‘marbits’? I looked in my dictionary, and the word is not listed. ‘ O.D., State College, Pa.
A: Developed in 1963, marbits are what General Mills calls the colorful, multishaped marshmallow bits in the cereal Lucky Charms. The original marbits: pink hearts, yellow moons, orange stars and green clovers.
Q: The symbol for Macy’s department store is a star. What is the significance? ‘ H.M., Glen Falls, N.Y.
A: First, a quick history lesson about Macy’s. In 1851, Rowland Hussey Macy founded a dry-goods store in Haverhill, Mass. Seven years later, he moved to New York City and established R.H. Macy & Co. The star logo comes from a tattoo he received as a teenager working on a Nantucket whaling ship.
Q: A U-boat is a German submarine. In German, what is the ‘U’? ‘ K.J., Madison, Wis.
A: Untersee. In English, it translates to ‘undersea.’
Q: What is the word for something that happens every 20 years? ‘ C.R., Lynchburg, Va.
A: Vicennial.
Q: On my list of bands with strange names is 10,000 Maniacs. What is the background of the group? Why did they select their name? ‘ L.I.B., Parkersburg, W.Va.
A: The band started out as Still Life in Jamestown, N.Y. Later, they adopted the name Burn Victims, then, in 1981, changed to 10,000 Maniacs after a 1964 low-budget horror movie titled ‘Two Thousand Maniacs.’
(Send your questions to Mr. Know-It-All at gclothier@readingeagle.com or c/o United Feature Syndicate, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016)